The invention provides a handheld cleaning appliance comprising a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet and a separator for separating dirt and dust from an airflow in an airflow path leading from the air inlet to the air outlet, the appliance further comprising a body housing a fan and motor for drawing air into the appliance via the dirty air inlet and the separator including at least one cyclone, characterised in that the separator and the body are releasably connected together about a chamber in the airflow path which is formed partly by the body and partly by the separator, the chamber housing a filter which is located upstream of the fan and motor and downstream of the or each cyclone.
By providing the handheld vacuum cleaner with a body and a separator which are releasably connected to one another about a chamber which houses a filter, the area of the filter can be made relatively large in comparison to the average cross-sectional area of the airflow path through the appliance. This is also achieved without adversely affecting the overall size of the appliance.
Preferably, the filter has an upstream surface having an area which is at least three times, more preferably at least five times, the cross-sectional area of the dirty air inlet. This ensures that the pressure drop across the filter is kept to a minimum.
In a preferred embodiment, the body and the separator are connected in a plane and the filter lies substantially in the said plane or adjacent the said plane and parallel thereto. This enables the filter to be easily accessed for regular maintenance which also enhances the performance of the appliance.